


Black Flies.

by acribia



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, M/M, Regulus Black Lives, Regulus Black-centric, and there is wolfstar in the background, because regulus deserved better, there is also a main focus on his relationship with sirius
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25430290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acribia/pseuds/acribia
Summary: Regulus closed his eyes: he was gonna die.He could feel the claws of the inferi cutting through his tender skin and he knew that he had just a bunch of minutes left to live before they drowned him in the sea. It was such a pathetic death but - at least - he was dying doing the right thing. Regulus took his last breathe and let go of the rock.I’m so sorry Sirius.(What if? Regulus Black lived)
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 20
Kudos: 166





	1. the cave.

Regulus closed his eyes: he was gonna die.

He could feel the claws of the inferi cutting through his tender skin and he knew that he had just a bunch of minutes left to live before they drowned him in the sea. It was such a pathetic death but - at least - he was dying doing the right thing. Regulus took his last breathe and let go of the rock.

_I’m so sorry Sirius._

«Why is he here?» 

«Is he dying?»

«Do something for Merlin’s sake!» 

Dying was nothing like Regulus had imagined it, in fact he had always believed that passing away, was as easy as going to sleep so why was it so loud and annoying? He rolled on his side and pressed his hands on his ears to cut out all the voices and in that moment he realized that something wasn’t right. Where was the water? He was drowning, wasn’t he? And where were the inferi? He could stil feel the icing cold sensation of their breathes on his faces but their claws weren’t on him, not anymore. A sharp pain in his stomach forced him to shut his eyes open and before he could even realize where he was, he puked all of his insides. He felt terrible, it was almost as if his organs were on fire and the more conscious he got, the more his head ached. He shouted in pain and suddenly a pair of hands were pressed against his mouth.

«Shut up Reggie, shut up please» 

«Somebody do something!»

One of his bone cracked and everything was dark again.

When Regulus slowly woken up, all the pain was gone _however_ there still was something wrong and thus was the fact that he was still alive so either he managed to escape the cave and he didn’t remember about it, or someone had find him. In case of the latter being true, he hoped that his rescuer wasn’t the Dark Lord or else he was gonna die anyway.

«I don’t understand»

 _That voice,_ although Regulus hadn’t heard it in years, still sounded so familiar. It reminded him of the warm summer days when he and his brother would sit on his bed and read tales to each other. They had to be careful tho because their mother didn’t want them to waste their time reading those frivolous stories. Eventually she found out about their little secret and Sirius took the fallfor it. He would always do that to protect his little brother or at least he used to until the moment they grew apart. At some point in their lives, they acknowledged that they weren’t brothers anymore, they were anything _but_ that. Regulus knew that it was mostly his fault because after all, he had decided to join the death eaters but he had no other choice; his duty as the only heir of Orion and Walburga Black, was not only to please them but also to do as he was told. He was just a puppet in their hands and for the time being, his task was to stand on the Dark Lord’s side. It didn’t matter what he believed in nor what he wanted because he wasn’t allowed to be his own person anymore. He lived and breathed just to be the perfect Black son. Eventually he gave in, pledged his loyalty to his family’s values and began cheering ideas that didn’t sit right with him. He was a coward, he knew that but then the chance of redemption fell in his hands. A thought ran fast in Regulus’ mind and forced him to get up. As soon as he was on his feet, the room started spinning around him so he closed his eyes, breathed in deeply and found himself again. «Dumbledore, I need to talk to Dumbledore» 

He said in the loudest voice possibile. Four pairs of eyes turned to him and lingered thoughtfully on his figure. He held their glazes and fought back the urge to faint right in the spot where he was standing.

«First we need to figure out how you got here» 

Sirius was the first one to break the silence, he was looking at him suspiciously and at that point, Regulus realized how much his choices really weighted on him. If his bother didn’t trust him, who would? But Regulus pushed that thought away and tightened his fists, that was the time to be braver and bigger.

«But I _need_ talk to him, it’s important, it’s about the D… Voldemort»

Regulus’ stomach twisted, he wasn’t used to address _him_ with that name but he wasn’t his Lord anymore. Sirius exchanged a look with the other boy in the room who now Regulus recognized as James Potter.

«Well you can talk to us but only after you tell us how you got here» 

He said firmly. Regulus pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed in shakily, that wasn’t the time for arguing.

«Fine, would you mind tell me where in Salazar’s name, am I?»

Sirius curled his lips and grunted loudly before turning to James.

«He’s playing the fool!» 

«I don’t know, Pads, he looks confused and besides he was practically dead when he appareted» 

«For Merlin’s sake, I’m right here! I can hear you and I still need to talk to Dumbledore»

Regulus had to think fast, he had to talk to Dumbledore before Voldemort found out about his attempt at destroying the horcrux and _if_ he had already found out, he had little to no time left.

«Listen I don’t know how I got here, okay? I just know that I was dying and then I wasn’t anymore but now you have to listen to me and bring me to Dumbledore, _please»_

At that point, Regulus was desperate and even Sirius could see he was being honest about that.

«Fine, we’ll take you to him but Mad-eye has to be with us»

Sirius waved his wand in the air and a pair of heavy chains wrapped around Regulus’ wrists.

«Are you serious?» 

«Oh Reggie, I’m always Sirius» 

Regulus hadn’t seen Dumbledore in a whole year however the old man still looked the same as usual and when his piercing blue eyes fell on the young Black’s face, the boy felt almost as if he was being dragged again in Hogwarts therefore he instantly blocked any thoughts in his mind. He had always had the feeling that behind those peaceful irises, was hiding a highly skilled legilimens therefore he had always used all the tricks he knew to protect himself. And that was one of the few thing he had to thank his mother for. Dumbledore smiled and invited him to take a sit. Standing not too far away from them, there were Mad-Eye Moody, Sirius and James.

«Good evening Regulus, I’m glad to see you again»

«I’m afraid it’s not quite the same for me»

Regulus said coldly and glanced at the chains on his wrists, Dumbledore smiled again and sat in front of him.

«So I’ve heard you need to talk to me»

Regulus swallowed the thick knot his throat and nodded at him. He slowly unleashed his mind and looked at the headmaster right in the eyes. Regulus scoffed as soon as he felt a tickling sensation at the top of his head. _He knew it._

«I think I know how to defeat Voldemort» 


	2. veritaserum.

«I’m sorry but what exactly is a horcrux?»

«A horcrux is a piece of someone’s soul, mr. Potter» 

Dumbledore ignored the confabulation that was going on in the room and kept staring seraphically at Regulus. He was clearly pondering the validity of all the informations the young Black had just thrown at him so Regulus sat still under his gaze.

«I can prove it»

The boy said finally and the glimpse of a sparkle, lightened the headmaster’s eyes. 

«How?» 

Flashes of _that infernal night,_ ran through Regulus’ head; he remembered the boat and the darkness of the cave, he saw again the surface of the muddy water as he sailed on it and then he heard Kreacher weeping at his side, he looked around him certain to see the elf but instead he only saw devilish faces staring back at him. Regulus held his breath and pressed his hands on his thighs, he gasped as he saw his fingers progressively turning in to a deep shade of black. It felt like he was rotting while still being alive. Something weighted on his shoulders and Regulus slowly came back to his senses; he realized he was shivering so he breathed in and blinked a few times before remembering where he was. When he looked up, Dumbledore was looking at him with imperscrutabile eyes. The weight on his shoulders didn’t go away and at that point, Regulus didn’t have to turn around to understand that it was Sirius’ hand gripping on him. No matter what happened between them, in times of needs he still was his older brother.

«I can prove it» 

Regulus repeated and recollected the chain of thoughts he was having before zoning out. This time Dumbledore didn’t say anything, his entire body was still and his eyes dwelled on Regulus’ in a quest for an answer. The boy breathed in shakily and slipped his finger under his collar, shivers ran down his back as soon as he grabbed the locket that was hanging on his chest.

«Salazar Slytherin locket, this is one of the horcruxes»

«I don’t trust him» 

Sirius said and let go of his brother’s shoulder.

«I don’t trust him because of _this_ » 

He added right before he grabbed Regulus’ forearm just to uncover the dark mark that was sitting under the sleeve of his sweater. The younger Black winced under Sirius’ grip as his fingers began to tighten around his wrist, he knew he was exerting the exact amount of pressure that was needed to leave bruises on his skin and for a moment - but just for one moment - they both were in Grimmuald Place again although this time, Sirius was the one with a locked wrists while Regulus was hiding behind the curtains.

«Sirius has a point» 

Mad-eye walked to them and glanced at the mark.

«However there is a way to know the truth» 

Regulus could feel the veritaserum making its way through his body; it was like a cold trickle running in his veins and the cooler he got, the foggier his head became until he suddenly realized that his thoughts were slipping out of his own mind.

«All right Regulus, why are you here?» 

«To tell you about the horcruxes» 

He answered calmly. The potion worked better either on those who were defenseless or didn’t know to be under its spell therefore he tried his best not to defeat it

«How do you know about them?» 

«Voldemort took Kreacher with him to the cave so when he came back, I ordered him to tell me everything he had to do for him» 

«Why did you betray Voldemort?» 

Sirius overstepped Dumbledore who was about to ask something else however he couldn’t help but question his brother about his motives.

«Because I wasn’t even sure of my loyalty to begin with. I joined the death eaters because our parents… well my parents, wanted me to do so and the whole point of my life is to be a Black; I have to fill the void you left, Sirius. Sure, at first I believed in our family values but the more I knew, the less I was willing to live up to them. Voldemort is poisoned with ambition for power and he will kill his own allies to get what he wants. I had to make the right thing, I couldn’t die on the wrong side of history. I’ve made mistakes but I also want to make up for them» 

Sirius nodded mindlessly and stepped away. It infuriated him how Regulus seemed to be incapable of making his own decisions. He censored himself just to allow their parent’s ambitions to flourish in him; at that point, he wasn’t even their child anymore, he was just the heir of a family or - in simpler words - the means by which they could make their legacy stronger. Sirius scoffed quietly, he had always refused to be the puppet his brother had become.

«So Regulus, are you here because Voldemort ordered you?» 

Dumbledore asked.

«No and as far as I know, he might think I’m dead by now. I left a note because I wanted him to know that it was me who found out about his secret and tried to defeat him» 

«How many of them?»

«I don’t know» 

«One last question, how did you get here?» 

Regulus frowned as he only remembered being dragged in to the lake and calling for Kreacher so that he could take the locket and destroy it on his behalf _however_ the chain was right in front of his eyes. The boy closed his eyes and breathed in heavily, what happened?

_I’m sorry Sirius… I’m so sorry Sirius, I… I need to see him._

«I.. » Regulus mouthed as the events found their orders in his mind «I told Kreacher I needed to see Sirius so we appareted here, I guess» 

«But this place… no-one except for the members of the Order can apparare here»

James’ confused voice broke the silence and four pair of eyes - one black and one grey - turned to him with a smirk.

«Elf magic» 

At that point Mad-Eye cleared his throat and caught all the attention on him.

«So now we call the Order» 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First thing first I want to say a huge thank you to all the people who liked the previous chapter, it really made me happy so thank you.   
> So here we are with a chapter were Regulus is questioned because nobody know if he can be trusted. I'm aware that my chapters are quite short but I like to tackle one topic at a time so next time we might see the Order and its thoughts about all of this.   
> I need to say one last thing: I might not use J.K. Rowling's canon timeline for certain events because it wouldn't fit nicely with what I have in mind but this a "what if" so why not?   
> Anyways thank you all again and I hope you enjoyed the reading!


	3. the spy.

Regulus was never one to like attentions on him, even as a child he had always tried to blend with the surroundings so he was more than happy when either Sirius or his cousin Bellatrix, were the main interest. When the attention fell on him, Regulus would always excuse himself from whatever gathering his family was having just to go on a quest to find a hidden spot where he could spend the rest of the day. Thus meant that Regulus found rather inconvenient being the main attraction of the Order’s meeting. However there he was, sitting right into the lion’s den and with multiple pair of suspicious eyes staring at him. Regulus tried to cling on Sirius’ glaze but in that moment, his brother’s only concern was the sick looking boy sat at his side, that same boy that back in Hogwarts, was rumored to be a werewolf. Now that Regulus looked at him, he could quite see why. Scars aside, his eyes glowed with amber a pigment that was rather common amongst magical creatures especially those who belonged with the night. Regulus wondered if that boy was just another example of Sirius’ savior complex but however that was, it surely wasn’t his main concern for the time being. So he tried to bring his attention back to the meeting but his attempt was unsuccessful as he soon found out that he was feeling too lightheaded to grasp any of the things that were being said. It was almost as if he still was under water: the voices were muffled and the people around him were just blurred images that he couldn’t quite see. Regulus breathed in shakily and pushed one hand against his throat as he suddenly felt the need to hear his pulse under his fingertips just to make sure he was still alive. He then brushed his fingers against the locket and sighed in relief, the contrast of the cold chain against his overly warm skin, was strangely comforting.

«You should take it off» 

A redhead girl gently poked Regulus on the shoulder and he finally slid out of his state of dissociation. The boy recognized her as Lily, the girl with whom Severus was obsessed during their school years. He clearly remembered his housemate ranting about how much the girl _needed him_ just because he had been her very first friend therefore “ _nobody knew her as much as he did”._ Furthermore he claimed to know what was best for her so when Lily finally outgrown their friendship - mainly because of Severus’ investment in dark magic - he went blind with rage and blamed everything on _that stupid Potter kid._ Anyway other than sporadically listening to his whining, Regulus had never paid much attention to Severus simply because he found him terribly annoying.

«I think I read somewhere that horcruxes affect wizards so maybe it is doing something to your head» 

Lily then added with a concerned look on her face. 

«Yes they do but I don’t really care»

«Oh, why?» 

Regulus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt too tired to put on the true Black act and pretend to be completely emotionless.

«Well half of you want me dead anyway so, you know» 

The boy glanced at Sirius who was now talking to James and then went back to staring at his hands.

«Whatever» 

«Well for what it’s worth, I do believe in second chances and maybe this is yours»

«Okay so, let’s say that we find all the horcruxes, how do we destroy them?»

Mad-Eye waved his wand in the air and summoned a big old book with a patchy leather cover and a fading title. It took Regulus one look to recognize it: it was _Secret of the darkest art_ and he clearly remembered an unauthorized copy sitting on one of the shelves of his father’s collection. «Fiendfire» 

The auror then said firmly.

«But it’s dark magic, it’s illegal to perform and besides no-one of us masters it» 

«That’s incorrect Longbottom, one of us does» 

Mad-Eye turned to Regulus with a knowing look and the boy couldn’t do anything but nod.

«He is not one of us, I don’t care about the veritaserum, to me he still is one of them» 

Sirius cut in and looked at his brother with disgust.

«All right fine, you don’t trust me but you _need_ me and besides I might not be one of yours but I’m not one of them, not anymore» 

«Oh Reggie what would mommy and daddy say, eh?» 

Regulus pushed his brother with all the strength he had before hissing his answer.

«I don’t need anyone’s approval, Sirius»

«You wish»

«Stop this nonsense both of you!» 

Mad-Eye broke their fight and gestured them to sit in silence.

«So Black, do you know the Fiendfire spell?» 

Regulus scoffed with a smirk on his face.

«That and many more» 

«Well for once I’m glad that some pureblood families still teach their kids dark magic» 

The mission was settled: a rescue squad was gonna go on a horcrux hunt while the rest of the Order would keep fighting Voldemort on the battle ground. Despite his complaints, Sirius joined the group and so did James. They both suggested that Remus should have joined too but according to Dumbledore, he already had enough on his hands and couldn’t possibly partake in yet another quest. So Regulus, Sirius and James would have to do. They were all leaning on a map trying to figure out where the infamous objects could be, when something caught Regulus’ attention. Footsteps, maybe. He looked up and saw Peter Pettigrew’s familiar face staring at them with panic in his watery eyes. Something clicked in Regulus’ mind as he recollected the image of that same boy kneeling right in front of Voldemort while pledging his complete loyalty to him. It was unusual for Death Eaters to actually know each other but when it came to a spy, the Dark Lord wanted everybody to remember his face just in case he turned out to be unreliable. However Peter seemed to be a hardworking traitor, probably the best Regulus had ever seen. Thus is why the younger Black threw a book on the map and marched towards Peter who - on the other hand - was trying to reach the door.

«Are you out of you mind?» 

Peter almost cried out. Sirius grabbed his brother’s robe and pulled him away from the other boy while James quickly reached for his wand.

«What the hell Regulus?» 

«Shut up Sirius, will you?» 

«If you stop scaring my friend maybe» 

Regulus scoffed and freed himself from Sirius’ grip before turning to Peter who was now hiding behind James; such a wonderful display of the renown Gryffindor’s bravery.

«Tell them what kind of friend you are, come on, do it» 

«Shut up, you’re just like me» 

Peter spat out before he could even realize what he was actually saying. Regulus pushed James on the side and grabbed the boy’s forearm. To someone who didn’t know what to look for, it might have seemed like nothing was there but Regulus knew all the tricks of his former leader so he pressed his wands against Peter’s skin and glanced at his brother while murmuring a reviling spell.

_«Aparecium»_

He didn’t have to look to know that a trail of ink was tracing the Dark Mark on Peter’s arm so he let go off him and silently watched James and Sirius realizing what that revelation meant. They had been trying to track down the spy for months and yet nobody could have possibly thought of Peter as one.

«You’re the spy» 

«James, I can explain!»

«Marlene died and you made us believe it was Remus!» 

«Just listen to me, Prongs please» 

«Don’t call him like that, not anymore!» 

Sirius cut him off and Peter tried to mouth something but nothing came out of him other than a high pitched cry.

«Pads, call Dumbledore, now» 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a many things to say, 
> 
> 1\. Thank you so much for all the support! I'm so glad you all liked the previous chapters and well I'm very happy so thank you.   
> 2\. I've already warned you that I wasn't gonna use J.K. Rowling's timeline so that's why Peter's betrayal is here.   
> 3\. Yes, I might be giving Regulus too much credit but he's my son and I'm proud of him so okay.   
> 4\. Sorry for any mistakes but you already know that. 
> 
> Thank you again, hope you liked this and see you next time!


	4. nightmares.

Regulus watched many horcruxes burn in the fire he summoned; some of them were quiet and other screamed for their lives. As the flames glowed, the boy found out that it was rather difficult not to think of them as something human since they were the bearers of someone’s memories and emotions. Furthermore he felt as if his own soul was being ripped for each horcrux he put down and he knew that after that, his life was never gonna be the same again. _A soul for a soul,_ that was the price he had to pay and as the days passed, Regulus could feel the darkness basking on his flesh. It was like being cold all the time. At some point Sirius suggested to take on his job but Regulus stubbornly refused as he wasn’t particularly keen on the idea of his brother being eaten alive by the thing he hated the most. _Better me than you,_ the boy thought one night;he had always believed in that statement in fact ever since he was sorted in Slytherin, he had began to think that being the one who had to take on the Black’s legacy was a blessing even - if not mostly - for Sirius since from that moment, he could finally be free. Besides Regulus wasn’t even worried of being brainwashed as he - unlike Sirius - had nothing to lose. No friends nor a reputation nor rebellious ideals. Simply put, he was the perfect puppet for their shared masters. So then it felt just right to be that one person who had to carry alone the destructiveness of the Dark Arts but _at least_ this time he knew for sure he was doing the right thing.

«Why are you doing this?» 

Sirius asked him once. Regulus thought carefully about his answer; it surely was odd for someone who had always believed in the inherited supremacy of pureblood families, to suddenly change his values however he knew that that change, didn’t happen overnight. He matured it throughout challenging times and finding out about the horcruxes, was just the turning point he needed to stand up against what had been his whole world for the past few years.

«I guess I’ve always known I was wrong but I had yet to realize it so I finally did and now I want to make things right or at least I want to try»

Sirius scoffed unamused by his answer.

«You’ll never be a hero, you know that?» 

«I don’t want to be a hero, Sirius. I just want to make the right thing for once. Merlin, not all of us want to be heroes so please just drop the act»

«You know nothing, Regulus» 

Regulus snorted and stood up from the ground to go inside their tent.

«I know enough. You constantly pride yourself with your sad story of being the black sheep of the family, you’re that one son who was disowned and who rejected his family because he was oh so superior but you know what? I’m sick of it, you’re not the first to do such a thing and you definitely won’t be the last so just shut up, will you? If you want to be a hero then fine, go for it but don’t assume I want it too just because I’m trying to think with my own mind for once, you’re ridiculous» 

«At least I’ve always thought with my own head» 

Regulus rolled his eyes and decided to drop the argument after all he knew that it was pointless to carry on with it; Sirius was just like their mother: he always had to win no matter what.

«What do you think they’ll do to him?»

James looked up to Sirius from the spot he was laying in; they hadn’t stopped thinking about Peter ever since they left London to go on that mission. Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his tangled black hair.

«I have no idea, is betrayal enough to put him in Azkaban?» 

«I hope not» 

The boys silently exchanged a worried look. Although Wormtail had betrayed them, they couldn’t force themselves to think of him as anything but a friend. The idea of Peter giving up on them due to the fear he had of Voldemort, shook them to the core and James wanted to believe that therewas something more to that behavior than what his friend told them.

«Why would someone become a Death Eater?»

James asked mainly to himself. Sirius shrugged.

«Fear? Stupidity? Power? I don’t know Prongs, these things don’t really sound like Peter»

The curly haired boy glanced at Regulus who was mindlessly listening to them while reading a book. James hesitated a bit before asking his question.

«Hey, why did you become a Death Eater?»

The younger Black sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was never gonna be anything else but a Death Eater in their eyes and that was exhausting.

«Power, I guess but also fear» 

Surely the idea of mastering Dark Magic was appealing however Voldemort was quite terrifying. Other than Dumbledore, he was the most powerful wizard Regulus had ever seen but unlike the headmaster, his magic had the only purpose of gaining him power and cause destruction.

«I’ve never understood why you believed in all of that bullshit»

Sirius said. Regulus sighed, he really didn’t wanna start another argument.

«I guess it was just easier being a Black and besides for a while I truly thought I was in the right»

They all fell silent for a while; the fire crackled in the chimney and the rain outside gently tapped on the tent’s roof.

«I doubt they’ll put your friend in Azkaban for betraying you but he might end up in there because he’s a Death Eater and from what I know he willingly became one» 

«What about you?» 

James asked on Sirius’ behalf knowing that he was never gonna speak his mind. Regulus pondered that question for a while.

«I died in a cave didn’t I?»

Ever since his experience with the inferi, Regulus struggled to sleep. As soon as he closed his eyes, he relieved vividly the feeling of their claws wrapped around his limbs and agony began to choke him. It was like being a kid all over again although this time, he didn’t have a brother to run to. Back in Grimmuald Place, when he woke up in a puddle of sweat and with his heart racing, he would sneak in to Sirius’ room to beg him to check for the monsters under his bed. However Sirius never did that and instead he would always make enough space in his bed for his little brother to lay in with him and then he would read him something from his favorite fairytales book. But now Regulus was eighteen years old, he didn’t believe in stories and Sirius hated him with every fiber of his heart so he simply laid down in his bed and listened to the sound of silence.

«Move dickhead» 

«Sirius? What in Salazar’s name…»

«Shut up Reggie and move come on» 

Sirius pushed him to the edge of the mattress and laid next to him. They both stared at the roof for a while just enjoying the feeling of them being together and at peace again.

«You’re not sleeping»

Sirius finally said. Regulus sighed.

«I can’t» 

«Wanna talk about it?» 

«Wanna listen?» 

Sirius laughed under his breath, they hadn’t had a brotherly talk in a while.

«Je suis ton frère» 

Regulus rolled his eyes; Sirius never used French because it was their mother’s language therefore he hated it.

«Are you tho? I thought James was» 

«You both are just in a different way» 

Regulus scoffed and rolled on his side so that he was facing Sirius only with his back. He was accustomed to the thought of not being his brother anymore but being reminded of it, still was hurtful.

«You know what I mean, Reggie» 

«No, I don’t because we’ve never talked about it» 

Sirius sighed and rolled on his side so that now they were laying back to back.

«You’re my little brother Regulus and although I might not share your opinions or your choices, I will always love you. James is my brother because he found me in pieces and put me back together, he’s my anchor but that doesn’t mean I love you less» 

«You were my anchor»

«I’m sorry»

«It’s okay, I don’t really care anymore» 

«So the nightmares?» 

Sirius asked carefully. Regulus closed his eyes and sighed softly.

«Just the cave, the inferi, all of that» 

«Should I read you a story?» 

«Shut up you idiot» 

They both laughed before falling in to silence again. Sirius pondered his next words carefully before asking.

«So if we survive, what’re you gonna do after the War?» 

«I told you, I died in a cave and I’m planning on staying dead for as long as possible.»

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi, hello!   
> First thing first I need to thank you all because of your support, I know I always say that but I really can't believe that someone would willingly read my story (lol) so thank you.  
> Anyway here we are with yet another chapter and a brotherly talk between Sirius and Regulus; I personally think that although they both love each other, they're reluctant to admit it (and be brothers for fuck's sake!) because of all that happened between them so their bond needs quite a bit of time to be re-established but hey, baby steps.   
> All right I hope you liked this, thank you if read it and see you next time!


	5. the aftermath.

_«Is it over?»_

_«A war like this is never over, Mr. Black but for now we can rest»_

Regulus had never thought that going in to a war, would cost him _that much:_ his name, his family and his whole life. He died, allegedly. Rumor had it that he was working for the Order when he passed away alone in a cave trying to expose Voldemort’s secret. Allegedly he was never a Death Eater, just a spy. Some might say to have seen him walking in Diagon Alley looking like death itself but according to Sirius, that couldn’t have been possible.

«My brother is dead, have some respect!»

Funnily enough the two brothers stood right next to each other when their whole family was put on a trial due to war crimes. Regulus smiled shyly at his mother and endured her glares throughout the whole process. At some point he was even tempted to ask her whether she was more disappointed in him being on the right side of history or him not being dead (surely holding a funereal for someone who was still alive, might have felt like a burden to her). 

«Probably both» 

Sirius whispered to him when they left the Ministry. Hearing that, young Regulus would have fallen in to despair however as he walked side by side to his brother, he realized that - after all - he really didn’t mind being anything _but_ a Black.

War wounded Regulus. At first he couldn’t sleep anymore: every time he closed his eyes, he felt the breath of the inferi on his skin and as they dragged him under the water, he would hear people screaming in his head. His soul never felt the same either: putting down all those horcruxes had a price to pay even though the man who made them was pure evil. _A soul for a soul_ , that was the deal. So he welcomed the darkness and let it carve his bones, poison his blood, suffocate his mind. When the time came, he would treat death as an old a friend, a servant even. Thus was the path he chose. 

Regulus then fell in to the habit not eating. He would starve himself for days just to feel something. The aching pain of hunger, was the only thing his numb mind could perceive so he held on to that as a reminder that he was still alive even if it didn’t feel like it. His face thinned, his shoulders surrendered under the weight of a dense grey cloud, his eyes darkened. Sometimes he would stare in to a mirror and ask himself where in Salazar’s name did he go.

«At some point you have to crawl out of that hole you’re in»

Sirius bursted in Regulus’ life as soon as he stopped answering his letters. Seeing him as a lifeless pile of bones, was enough of a reason for him to temporarily move in with his brother.

«Leave me alone Sirius»

«You’re letting yourself die, you know that?»  
Regulus sighed heavily and rolled on his side, he hadn’t left the bed in days.

«So?»

Sirius rolled his eyes and sat on the bed. When they were children, Regulus got really sick and Sirius stayed with him through his entire convalescence. The idea of his little brother being ill and alone had never sat well with him.

«What happened to you?»   
«War, I guess» 

Regulus mumbled and pulled the sheets over his head. Sirius frowned. He knew many other people who struggled after the war but something was different with Regulus, something dark was eating him from the inside.

«Talk to me, please»

«Why do you even care?»

«I’m your fucking brother, that’s why I care!»

In the end Sirius got married to Remus and Regulus was there to witness it. He had never seen his brother so happy in his whole life.

«See? We can have our happy ending too» 

Regulus didn’t believe that or at least he didn’t for himself but how could he if everyday felt like drowning?

«Why the double surname?» 

He asked mostly to change the subject. He could have sworn that Sirius would drop that surname as soon as possibile, hell he even tried to change it to Potter once! His brother smirked at him and straightened his posture. Regulus thought that it was funny how some habits seemed to never die.

«Well for most of my life I’ve despised being a Black but now I see that I well… I _believe_ that we can be better than them. I kept Black in my surname because I want to build a better future for us. We can’t change our past but we can choose what’s coming next. So yes, call me Sirius Black-Lupin» 

_«You want me to teach at Hogwarts? Why?»  
_ «Because you’re the most talented potion brewer I know» 

In the Wizarding World people died and came back on a daily basis so when Regulus Black crawled out of his coffin, nobody was truly shocked by it. However everybody was struck by his decision of rejecting his title as the only rightful heir to Orion Black to purse a career in… well, teaching. Truth be told: Regulus was shocked too. But Hogwarts had always felt like home to him and he was - indeed - quite good at potion so maybe it was worth giving it a try.

«Please welcome professor Regulus Black who from now on will teach potion» 

For the first time in months, Regulus felt happiness sparkling in his chest.

«Dad! Uncle Reg is here!» 

Regulus hated children with a passion, he really did however he had a soft spot for his little nephew (if asked he would firmly deny tho).

«I’m coming!»

Sirius shouted as Regulus made his way through his brother’s house while trying not to stumble on the piles of toys that flooded the floor. How Remus coped with those two was still a mystery to him.

«You know that Remus will be pissed by the mess you two live in, right?»

Sirius scoffed and hugged his brother. He had a blanket tucked in the collar of his t-shit so he looked like he was wearing a cloak.

«I’ve missed you too, Reggie. How is work?»   
«I refuse to believe Remus didn’t tell you everything»

Sirius shrugged and smiled shyly.

«It’s not my fault if you both work in the same damn place» 

Regulus pinched the bridge of his nose and plonked on the couch with a loud sigh. Asa - his nephew - climbed on his lap and curled up on him.

«Yeah well I told him some of the things you did as a child so we’re kinda even» 

Sirius gasped loudly and pressed a hand on his chest to ensure a dramatic effect.

«You’re a terrible person»

«Yes, it keeps me awake at night» 

«No, I love uncle Reggie!» 

«You sure do, love» 

Regulus couldn’t help but smile a little. With the warm feeling of his nephew curled up on him and the smell of cookies in the air (since when Sirius knew how to bake?) dreaming of _his happy ending_ didn’t seem weird at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so we're done!   
> I really enjoyed writing this fic and I truly hope that you liked it a little.   
> Also I'm sorry if this took so long but in the end, I'm quite happy with it.   
> Thank you so much for all the support, the kudos, the comments and the subscription, you guys are amazing so thank you, thank, thank you.   
> Lots of love,   
> S.

**Author's Note:**

> First thing first I'm not a native English speaker so I'm so very sorry if there are any mistakes but unfortunately I don't have any English beta to go through my work. 
> 
> With that being said, here I am presenting you my idea of how things could have ended if Regulus survived. This first chapter is just an introduction so stay with me because later on we will found how Regulus managed to escape the cave and of course we will also see what effects this is gonna have. I hope you liked it and thank you for reading it. 
> 
> See you soon! 
> 
> Oh, wait! Sorry for the terrible "I'm always Sirius" pun but I just couldn't resist it.


End file.
